MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Daybreak Staley and South Carolina buttoned up on protection and gained their second nationwide championship, stifling UConn for a 64-49 victory Sunday night time that ended the Huskies’ undefeated streak in title video games.
Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 factors, Aliyah Boston added 11 factors and 16 rebounds, and the Gamecocks handed Geno Auriemma’s Huskies their first loss in 12 NCAA title video games.
With Staley calling the photographs in a $5,000 letterman jacket, South Carolina took UConn to highschool on the boards and capped a wire-to-wire run because the No. 1 group within the nation in The Related Press ballot. The Gamecocks additionally gained the championship in 2017 with A’ja Wilson main the way in which.
This time it was Boston — the AP Participant of the Yr — and her fellow South Carolina submit gamers who dominated on the sport’s greatest stage. The Gamecocks outrebounded UConn by 49-24, together with a 21-6 benefit on offensive boards. Additionally they clamped down on star Paige Bueckers and the Huskies on protection, similar to they did all season lengthy.
It was South Carolina’s night time from the beginning. The Gamecocks (35-2) jumped out to an 11-2 lead, grabbing almost each rebound on each ends of the court docket. They led 22-8 after one quarter, a lot to the delight of their devoted followers, who made the journey to Minneapolis to be a part of the sellout crowd.
UConn (30-6) trailed by 16 within the second quarter earlier than Bueckers, a Minnesota native, bought going. After having only one shot within the first quarter, she scored 9 factors within the second to get the Huskies inside 35-27 on the half. She completed with 14.
An 8-2 run to start out the third quarter put South Carolina up 43-29 earlier than the Huskies lastly began connecting from behind the arc. UConn missed its first eight three-point makes an attempt till Caroline Ducharme made one from the wing and Evina Westbrook adopted with one other to get the Huskies inside 43-37.
That’s as shut as they might get due to Henderson.
The senior guard had a three-point play to shut the third quarter after which had the group’s first 4 factors within the fourth to revive the double-digit lead, and the Huskies couldn’t recuperate.
This was UConn’s first journey to the championship recreation since 2016, when the Huskies gained the final of 4 straight titles. Since then, the group has suffered heartbreaking defeats within the nationwide semifinals, shedding twice in time beyond regulation, earlier than holding off Stanford on Friday night time. The Huskies had been making an attempt to win their twelfth title in the identical metropolis they gained their first one in 1995.
Auriemma mentioned Saturday that when his group had gained every of its 11 titles, the Huskies entered the sport as the higher group. They actually weren’t on Sunday.
It had been one of the difficult seasons of Auriemma’s Corridor of Fame profession. UConn overcame shedding eight gamers for at the very least two video games with damage or sickness, together with Bueckers, who missed almost three months with a left knee damage suffered in early December. She got here again in late February however wasn’t on the identical stage that earned her AP Participant of the Yr as a freshman final season.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Gamecocks have been stalwarts on protection all season lengthy, rating third nationally with 50.5 factors allowed per recreation. They had been even sharper within the NCAA Event, holding opponents to 44.8 factors coming into Sunday’s finale.
Henderson had three steals, Boston blocked two photographs and South Carolina pressured 15 turnovers. The Gamecocks’ plus-25 rebounding margin was the second greatest ever in a title recreation.
BIG PICTURE
UConn: The Huskies lose three seniors in Christyn Williams, Westbrook and Olivia Nelson-Ododa however nonetheless have a stable group again led by Bueckers and freshman Azzi Fudd. If the Huskies keep wholesome, they’ll have a great shot to contend for subsequent 12 months’s title.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks lose Henderson and Victaria Saxton however have all of the expertise to repeat as champions.
